A Distant memory
by FullstopBlaster
Summary: [TF 2007] Prime musings..and a new Autobot has arrived on earth. She's a small one. She discusses her function and her future with the Autobots. She will need to pick an Autobot to pair with. Who will she Choose?
1. Hacker

A distant Memory

Chapter One: Hacker

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"Do you remember the days Optimus?" A female voice entered his mind. "When we lived in peace?"

"Very much, they are vivid images in my memory." He said quietly looking up at the sky. "Cybertron was a vast empire."

"You said you would come back for me." Her voice continued.

"That's what I did." He lowered his head.

"But you were too late." The female voice became disapproving.

"Yes, indeed I was." He admitted in defeat. He turned his head looking up to the stars. "Fate had other plans in store for me." The earth was growing dark. The voice in his head was unforgiving, it always would be, and her voice would be frozen by time. It would never change.

"Prime…" A voice broke him from his internal dialogue. He stood tall turning to see Ironhide. "She's here."

Prime nodded and with a hand he waved Ironhide off. "I will be there shortly."

He gave one last look to the stars. "I am sorry Elita One." He said quietly and turned back into the Autobot base.

Prime walked in to the conference room. The Autobots and Humans had gathered around to see. Prime took his place at the head of the table, and opposite him sitting on the table was a laptop. "Welcome to Autobot base one." He stated to the small human computer. It began to whirr to life, spinning and clicking. The short transformation revealed a small black and silver transformer. The small robot stood on the table; she was smaller than Frenzy by two heads.

"Thank you prime." She said with her thick accent. "I am Hacker; I heard your signal and made my way here." She said standing on the table.

"Hacker?" Maggie looked at her. "That's fantastic."

"Yes, I am a very adept Cybertronian programmer." She walked over to Maggie giving her a look over.

"I am glad you are here Hacker, we would be grateful for your help."

"Prime, you always were so gracious." The small Autobot walked up the table to Optimus and stood before him. He held out his hand and lifted her up to his eye level.

"Thank you. We will do our best to accommodate you." Prime smiled at her.

"Thank you prime." She smiled and took note of his battle scared body.

"Do you serve any other function than programmer?" Maggie asked her leaning over the table. The Small Autobot turned around in Prime's hand and blinked down at the blonde human.

"Yes, I am also an Autobot guardian, and a soldier." She smiled.

"Like Bumblebee?" Sam looked at his tall yellow friend from his seat.

"Size matters not." Hacker smiled to Bumblebee "Isn't that right?" Bumblebee nodded and sat back in his chair.

"An Autobot Guardian, Like you guard them?" Sam leaned across the table making a motion at Bumblebee.

"Yes. " Hacker skittered across the table to him. "I link with a larger Autobot. To form a symbiotic bond."

"Not me." Ironhide pointed to Hacker.

"You just don't want me knowing all your dirty secrets." Hacker laughed looking back at Sam with a smile.

The small Autobot reached out her hand and projected an image up to the wall with the small photonic projector in her metallic limb. The photo they all knew well. "This is Frenzy, a Decepticon version of myself. He and I are very much alike; we each have a form and a Spark." She sighed changing the picture. "We work in tandem with the larger robots." She flipped up a different picture. "Frenzy was once a compact disk of a disk player Decepticon named Soundwave. Upon his destruction, his compact disks were disbursed among other Decepticons. Frenzy is connected only to Barricade's Energon supply he is not fully bonded to him. The decepticons don't want their own agendas known even to each other; this has always been a weakness to them. This is also a good tactical advantage for us." She lowered her hand and her projector quieted.

"So you like become part of the Larger Robot?" Sam blinked.

"Yes, I can spate from them at my will; the host Autobot can also separate me." She turned and stood in front of the group.

"You don't have an Autobot now?" Sam asked "So how are you standing and stuff don't you need them to like live?"

"Well not to live, just in battle. My body does not hold much Energon, so I have to stay with a larger bot to keep myself online if I am away from base." She smiled "I am also a repair bot for the Host."

"She will be able to read our thoughts, no secrets." Ironhide said.

"No wonder you don't want her." Bumblebee laughed at him. "She should be the one rejecting you Ironhide; I would not want to know what is in that dirty head of yours." A few snickers broke out, until Ironhide activated his cannon, and they faded out.

There was a long moment. "Thank you for coming Hacker, we are once again glad to have you among our ranks. Autobots, dismissed." The bots and humans began to stand and to leave. Hacker leapt from Prime's hand onto the table.

Maggie was still hanging back. She watched quietly as the laptop walked back over to her and stood before her. "You have more questions I would be happy to answer." The three meter tall robot gave what looked like a smile.

"Yes, I have a lot actually; about your programming language and Cybertronian coding." Maggie had her folders with her.

"Of course, after I finish all my initial logs I will join you in your office." Hacker smiled as Maggie beamed; she made her way down the hall and back to the offices she oversaw. Glen would have a heart attack when she would tell him of the laptop.

"Hacker…" The small robot turned to Optimus and walked back down the table.

"Yes Sir?"

"Any news from Cybertronian space?" She shook her head.

"It's nothing now Prime."

"How many other Autobots have you encountered?" He asked.

"Not many…" she looked down. "I saw hound on a far distant moon." She raised her mechanical hand to the ceiling. "He was with Hot Rod." Prime looked down. "Hot Rod is in a revolving stasis lock, Hound said he would stay with him until he could revive him and get his systems back online. They sent me here." She lowered her hand.

"Any other Female Autobots?" Hacker looked down and shook her small head.

"I am afraid not…but that does not mean that some did not escape." She looked down. "I would hate to be the last."

"Come we have much to discuss, concerning this base, and earth." Prime lowered his hand and Hacker hopped up into his palm.

"Thank you Prime." She smiled and knelt down in his hand. "I would be meters back if you had not carried me."

"it is fine you are not use to working alone. Have you decided which of us to Pair with?" He looked down at her small body.

"I have not given it much thought. If I could pair with the human female I would." She laughed.

"Maggie and you may have the some things in common. However she can't supply you the power you will need on a mission." Optimus laughed a bit.

"Yes, now any idea on which of you wants an Energon parasite like me?" She laughed. "I know it will be you Prime the others won't have me in their heads." She leapt up onto his shoulder.

"We shall see." He said evenly. "I might convince Bumblebee to take you." He smiled up at her.

"I am not a human guardian." She looked down then flipped her eyes to his "Slag, you don't want me either." She laughed and flipped her little hand against his head. There was a clink. The two were silent as they walked out the bay doors to the surface.

To be continued…


	2. The Hack

A distant Memory

Chapter 2: The hack

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The two emerged and looked up; the sky was now black. Hacker had been with them two earth days. She had spent all her time with Prime. He turned to the small metallic Autobot on his shoulder pushed up against his neck. She moved and crawled around to his back and over on top of him.

"We are glad to have you with us." Prime said to her again.

"I am glad to be here." She was perched atop his head. "Are you sure you are ok with this? Bumblebee said he could serve as my host."

"I will be able to command better with you at my side…you're expertise in battle simulation is also helpful." Prime insisted. Hacker jumped down to his shoulder. She looked out at the group that had gathered. Sam and Maggie had wanted to watch.

Hacker held on to Optimus' chest plating crawling in front of him. She focused her vision. Letting a small blue beam into Optimus' eyes."Activating Symbiotic programming," He voice was metallic "Activating reformat, Host Optimus, Status Prime. Connections successful…" He looked down to her and their eyes joined in two streaming blue beams. There was a transforming sound, as their eyes closed and Hacker dropped to the dirt; reformatting. She rolled over and stood up, where the black had been was replaced with Red. Half of the silver had been replaced with Blue.

Prime smiled down at her. She turned looking down at her body and smiled. Prime looked up to the sky, and Hacker scurried up his leg and across his back, over to his shoulder. She looked down at Sam with Different eyes.

"So wait is she still a laptop?"

"Yes." The two said in tandem.

"I will get sick of hearing you both speak at the same time." Ironhide pointed at Prime.

"The programming needs more time to be effective. We will return in a while." Optimus took a large step over the humans and made his way outside the base walls.

"Where is he going?" Sam looked up to Ratchet.

"They just merged, it's complicated, and they know everything that the other knows. So they need to get a handle on each other. They will return and all will be fine." Ratchet looked at Sam with a sigh. "Where has Mikaela run off too?"

"Um that would be College, but she calls me constantly." Sam looked down at his phone.

"Ah a University," Ratchet got a little nostalgic. "Sam Cyberton had wonderful Universities!"

"Really and what did you get your degree in alien invasion?" Sam turned to Bumblebee and pointed "and you…what was yours Alien Abduction?"

Bumblebee laughed and shook his head. Bumblebee looked at Ratchet and put his finger up to his vocal processors; to tell Ratchet to keep quiet.

"Library studies I am afraid, Bumblebee was an archivist." Ratchet smiled

"So is that why you sort all your music the way you do?" Sam pointed at Bumblebee and he simply nodded. Sam had plugged a large terabyte hard drive to his home wireless network for Bumblebee to store all his favorite music on. Bumblebee also kept Sam's iTunes in rather neat shape as well and with a full drive he and Bumblebee both had acess too, neither of them would be bored.

"Ratchet what part of keep your mouth shut don't you understand?" Bumblebee pointed at him laughing.

"You became a soldier; I was not poking fun of you. Archival Science was the best thing you could have done; you had access to valuable information."

"A librarian…great…" Sam looked at Bumblebee

"I am a soldier now, and your guardian." Bumblebee transformed and opened his door. "And your friend…" he was hoping the statement friend would get Sam to drop the subject.

"But still… a Librarian bumblebee… " Sam jumped into the driver side and the two of them skid away. Still discussing how a quiet book worm with a music obsession learned to be a soldier.

"Kids." Ironhide walked up to Ratchet and looked out into the woods. "Will Prime be ok?"

"Yes, their connection is uncommon, due to the fact she is a femme. A female Autobot would have been better suited to Hacker, but seeing as they are in short supply in this place. Prime is the best choice."

"As long as it doesn't make him soft…" Ironhide turned and headed back down into their base. Ratchet transformed and sat there on the dirt; waiting for the two to return.

Optimus had carried her out into the woods outside their base, to a cliff that overlooked the mountains. He came here to think, when he felt the need to escapes the base and his companions. Optimus pushed the large oak's branches away as he stepped onto the ledge. "Are you all right Prime?" Hacker sat quietly on all fours near his neck.

"You know how I feel Hacker." He said looking down at her. He knew she had not accessed his memory yet, but there would come a day when she would have to.

"I will never intentionally enter your mind Prime. I can feel you are upset." She crawled along his shoulders and leapt down into his waiting hand.

"It's nothing." Prime looked up at the sky. "Nothing I haven't lived with a long time my friend." He said looking out.

"You know that they are out there." Hacker looked out, standing up on her back legs tall. "Starscream is gathering Megatron's forces." She said looking back up at Prime. "I can't wait to go up against Frenzy, I will show that beat box a thing or two."

"Beat Box?"

"Sorry I've been speaking with Bumblebee." Hacker smiled and looked out. "The Decepticons make me uncomfortable."

"I know the feeling well." Prime leaned down letting hacker down onto the ground. He looked to his left and his expression changed. "Over here." Hacker turned and started to bound along at first on two legs, then she darted down on all fours to keep up with Prime's steps.

They came upon a human power station. Its fence had been mangled. "Do you think the Decepticons were here?" Hacker climbed up onto the fence and looked at the seared edges of the wires. She started to take pictures and record the burns.

"From those burns I would say yes." He looked around. "Come we will investigate this further, but we need to inform the humans this is sparking and it could cause a fire." Prime Transformed on the road next to the power station and opened his driver door. Hacker jumped to the ground and ran over crawling up into the cab.

"Very well…" She transformed and sat open on Prime's passenger seat running burn calculations on the fence.

Prime activated his Hologram who only looked down to the laptop once. The back of the Laptop screen matched Optimus' paint perfectly; blue with red flames and an Autobot symbol in the middle.

They were on their way back to the base; to report their findings and continue to sort out their partnership. Maggie was speaking to ratchet when Prime rolled up to them. "What's going on Optimus?" She looked up as he transformed; hacker leaping out of his passenger door window onto the dirt below. She made her way over to Maggie.

"Sorry Ratchet" Hacker jumped up onto his hood and transformed back to her Laptop form. Maggie walked over and started to look at her screen.

"It's fine Hacker." Ratchet sat with the little one on his hood. Her fan was blowing warm air on him. It tickled a bit but he wouldn't tell anyone that.

"What are those?" Maggie was looking over the photos of the burns on the fence. "The metal is all twisted and burnt."

"That is a power station not far from here; it looks as though the decepticons might be interested in it." Optimus looked down to ratchet. "Call Keller and let him know that thing is sparking. It will need to be addressed by humans as soon as possible, there could be an overload and we would be without power."

"That station is very close to our base." Ratchet stated. "That is a problem, I will inform him." Ratchet went quiet he was obviously making a phone call using his internal radio.

Maggie grabbed hacker and turned into the base. "I'm taking you inside; Glen needs to look at this." Hacker folded herself shut.

"That's fine." Hacker stated through the speakers on the laptop. "I'll be back after I go over this with Maggie."

"I will be waiting." Prime looked to Ratchet. "Did Bumblebee take Sam home?"

"Yes he did." Ratchet transformed and stood behind him. "I told Sam that Bumblebee worked in the Archives."

Prime let out a laugh. "And now Sam will never let him live it down." He crossed his arms across his chest, and looked out in the direction of the power station. "What could they be planning?"

"Whatever it is, it won't be pleasant." Ratchet stood with Prime.

"Let's just hope we are ready for it when the time comes." Optimus looked down the road seeing his yellow scout return to base.

To be continued…..


	3. The Pod

A Distant Memory.

Chapter 3: The Pod

This gives a little more insight into Hacker and is more of a set up chapter for the Chapter to follow. :) I promise you all I will return to The Eyes of Bee, I just need a break..I hope this will be good enough to keep you all entertained.

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Hacker made for good conversation around the human workspaces. She spent most of her free time with Maggie and Glen. Prime did not mind this, it kept her occupied. Prime could tell she was uneasy about something, she was missing someone, but they all were. So he didn't think much of it. Hacker had been helping Maggie Program an operating system for the human computers that would interface with the Cybertronian workstations the Autobots had set up.

Hacker clicked along the top of the cubicles and came to a stop above Glen's desk. "No, I don't want to talk about this right now." He was on his phone, hacker sat down between two action figures on his monitor; Luke Skywalker and a Darth Vader. "No Grandma you listen I have a good job now I can't just….no…no…for the last time….oh fine. I'll do it but this is the last time…Bye." He hung up the phone.

"Problems Glen?" Hacker stood tall between the small actionfigures.

"Nah, I just have to run an errand on my way home now." He sighed and looked up at her. "How you feeling?"

"I am within standard operating limits." She slinked down onto the desk beside his keyboard and transformed "I have the information you wanted to go over." He rolled his office chair to the left and started looking through the files.

"These look great, that should work fine."

"I have done the necessary checks on the math." Hacker chirped from the speakers.

"Yes I see, like I said it looks great, you can install that if you like. That should get computers to see the mainframe without frying." Glen rolled back to his PC and entered some code to adjust for Hackers settings.

"Frying?" Hacker transformed and crawled back up on the monitor.

"Um, overloading would be a better term." He smiled up.

"I see. Well if that is all you need I would like to return to Optimus." Hacker clicked her little fingers on his monitor.

"Go on. I'll call you if I have problems."

"Thank you Glen." Hacker jumped back up to the top of the cubicle and skittered across the tops to the main entrance. Glen smiled and shook his head. She was an unusual little creature but she was sure effective, and quick with her work.

Hacker jumped down to the floor and made her way into the hall and bound down on all fours heading for Optimus' office. She almost slid past the door, on the metal floors. Scrapping herself backward she jumped into Prime's office.

He smiled but did not look up from his work. She jumped up on the desk and then back up to his shoulder and knelt down against the large Chrome pipe over his shoulder. They didn't talk to each other. They did not have to; they knew what was going on in the mind of the other.

Hacker would have spent more time away from Optimus but two days before a human soldier had stepped on her and ripped her left leg straight off. Prime had felt it and gone to her aid, taking her to ratchet for repairs. Ever since then she was very careful in the hall ways. She didn't want to be stepped on again. For her the first time was enough. Not a pleasant experience.

"Please go fetch Bumblebee for me." Prime turned to her. "If you don't mind…"

"Of course not…" She said aloud, and jumped down to the floor.

Bumblebee had just brought Sam and Mikaela back from the city. He was sitting in the Lab with the two. Sam was sitting there racking his brain trying to figure out what was going on. Mikaela was asking Ratchet a lot of questions. He was apparently helping her with her term paper for Biochemistry. Ratchet stood over Mikaela's shoulder pointing down to her text book. "If the blood albumin level goes down, the blood will not be hypertonic enough to reabsorb enough water from the tissues, and edema will result." Ratchet told her.

"Ok…" She leaned down and put her hand on her forehead.

"You still do not understand…" Ratchet looked down at her. "Let's look at this in another way." Ratchet pulled down a small group of colored canisters. "These orange canisters are blood; these blue ones will be water in the tissue…" Ratchet stopped his small demonstration "Hacker." He looked up to the small bot in the door way.

Bumblebee turned his head to the small robot. "Bumblebee…Prime would like a word with you." She jumped up and crawled onto his shoulder sitting on one of the doors on his back.

"I will return." Bumblebee smiled down at Mikaela "It will be fine just focus."

"Trying Bee thank you..." She was more than annoyed. She wasn't sure she was more upset about the fact she asked Ratchet for help or the fact she couldn't understand a word he was saying.

Bumblebee turned out of the room with a smile and looked up at Hacker on his shoulder. "How are you today?" she asked in a pleasant tone.

"I am well thank you Hacker." She smiled moving up closer to his shoulder. "How are things with Optimus?"

"Better than I had expected; he is patient." She smiled at Bumblebee

"That he is…" Bumblebee smiled and stepped into Prime's Office. "Sir? You requested me?"

"Yes…On your scouting rounds tonight go check on the power station." Prime stood and stepped past Bumblebee. "We need to keep a close watch on it." Hacker turned on Bumblebee's shoulder and jumped for Prime's back and crawled up to her 'spot'.

"As you wish sir…" Bumblebee turned.

"That's all for now, I will see you later tonight." Prime waved him off and left the office. Bumblebee left and made his way back to the humans.

Prime and hacker were headed out of the Base. Ironhide had sentry duty; Prime was on his way to relieve him. The black GMC was parked outside the base, scanners on full alert. Prime emerged from the base and looked down. "Report?"

Ironhide transformed and stood before him. "Nothing to report, all clear Prime."

"Good, go get a recharge." Prime excused him and Ironhide was glad to go in for once. He was tired; he had pulled a double shift so Ratchet could help Mikaela with her studies. Ironhide made his way into the doors of the facility and shut them behind him.

"Nice night." Hacker looked up at the stars.

"Indeed it is." Prime walked out and started his perimeter round. Everything seemed all right until they came to the west perimeter fence. It was scorched and burned. This was different somehow, the char was jet black and the fence was still melting. "Hacker, begin scans." Prime ordered the little bot. He stood and shot Bumblebee a radio, that he was to meet prime outside with Glen or Maggie.

Hacker skittered down and over to the fence. She started taking metal notes and looking at the burn. "This is definitely Decepticon." Hacker looked up to Prime. "Only I could fit through this hole, why would they make it so small?"

"They are letting in their vermin." Prime looked back at the burn kneeling down and touching the fence. "Frenzy, or one of the others."

"Great." Hacker jumped onto Prime's forearm. "Now we have to clean our base of Decepticon pets." She sighed

"We don't know if they have breached the base, but we must assume that they have, let's get everyone together we can, don't tell Ironhide, he needs to recharge." Prime ordered "If we tell him he'll be out here and no use in a battle should one erupt. " Hacker nodded to him. Prime turned and started back for the base. Opening his radio frequency he stopped; "Bumblebee, Ratchet, I need you both on the surface."

"Something wrong Optimus?" Hacker switched sides and looked back at the fence. Prime turned to it. "Yes, how would Ironhide not have heard that?"

"I'm not sure." Hacker tracked back and crawled up to his head.

"Will you find a spot and stay?" Prime looked up "You and your nervous little CPU."

"Of course…my apologies…" She slinked down to his right shoulder and stayed still. "I will radio the others." She was quiet. Prime didn't mind her skittering around him normally, but when he was trying to think, it was harder when she was distracting him.

He could hear her talking with Bumblebee. He looked back down at the fence with more concern. This was too recent; he worried momentarily for the safety of the humans.

"Prime?" He was drawn out of his thoughts.

"Yes Hacker?"

"They are on their way." She looked down where he was looking. She lifted her small hand and placed it on his head. "I am worried too."

All Prime could do was nod. He looked back up and saw the stars, and out of the blue a flash of light and a burn trail. Something was falling to earth and close to them.

"That could be Hot Rod, or Hound." Hacker guessed she seemed extremely excited about the idea. Prime looked at her and raised his brow.

"Hot rod?" He shook his head "You are a nervous little bot…" Prime let out a little laugh.

"You said you would not get into my head." Hacker clutched her head where human ears might be.

"I didn't have to." Prime looked back seeing Bumblebee run up to him in time to see the light trail in the sky. "Bumblebee go check it out." Prime pointed "Radio back, do not engage if it is hostel."

"Yes Sir." Bumblebee transformed and turned back to go to the main fence to make his way out the gate and to the light source.

"Let's just hope that this is someone we know."

"I can't wait to see him again." Hacker had not really listened to Prime. He assumed she was saying it for her own benefit.

"Would you like me to go after Bumblebee?" He could feel how much she wanted to go. "If it is him you can do a transfer to him." She looked at Prime and Nodded.

"Yes please go, I need to know." She slid down into Prime's chest and got against his windshield and he transformed with her inside him. She jumped from the dash to the passenger seat and stood waiting.

Ratchet rolled up next to him "What's going on Optimus?"

"Come we will see." Prime pulled away from the fence. The burn worried him but it didn't see that it was a priority. The two vehicles rolled away.

The fence was left unattended for the meantime. Long enough for a small silver bot to crawl up. "Autobot slag…"Frenzy mad a motion and another Small Decepticon walked forward. "Ravage go."

The Black Jaguar leapt through the hole. He made his way around the base.

Lennox and Epps were doing foot patrol, they were here for a few weeks and rather than be bored they wanted to get some work in. Patrol would also take them away from any desk work. Lennox looked around "I don't know man, Prime seemed pretty worried about that Power Station."

"Are they gonna keep checkin' in on it?" Epps walked beside him in even strides.

"Yes he's got Bumblebee on that tonight." Something caught his eye."Twelve o'clock…" Lennox lifted his gun.

"What is that?" Epps turned and looked out. The black figure stopped and looked up and jumped on. It looked like a dog, but it was pitch black and it was hard to see."Man it's just a coyote, getting scared over wild dogs."

"Yea, you're right." Lennox lowered his gun "There must be a hole in the perimeter fence."

Epps grabbed his radio "This is Epps, send out a work team to check the fence for damage, we have got wild animals inside the base. There might be a hole or something."

A female voice came over the radio "Affirmative commander we're sending a crew now." Epps put down the radio and looked back to Lennox.

"Let's look around some more." Lennox turned and headed in the way of what they thought was a coyote. "Something doesn't feel right."

"I hate it when you talk like that…you're starting to sound like Prime."

"Shut up." Lennox laughed and lead the way into the dark to the north east side of their base.

Bumblebee stood by the pod. He turned Seeing Prime and Ratchet roll up and transform. Hacker leapt from Prime's Arm to the ground and ran up to Bumblebee. "Is it him?" She asked. Bumblebee nearly shrugged and stood by the massive pod, which was sitting silent. There was a black and red band around this pod covered with the Autobo symbol. She smiled and skittered up to the pod and onto it placing herself on the Autobot Logo. "Let's get him home please...I want to talk to him again."

"Someone is excited." Bumblebee laughed at the small bot.

"I have been connected to Prime for almost four weeks now. Before that I had been connected to Hot Rod for around Four thousand earth years, let's just say…" she was petting the pod "We have an understanding." She smiled up to Prime.

"Very well…" Prime smiled down knowing how much Hot Rod meant to her."Let's get him home."

"Does she even know if it's Hot Rod?" Ratchet pointed "It looks like every other stasis pod."

"She knows." Prime looked down to Ratchet. "She knows." Prime sighed and looked ahead "Bumblebee stay here with the Pod and Hacker, I will need to go back for a trailer to transport the Pod."

"As you wish Sir…" Bumblebee stood guarding the Pod while Ratchet and Prime went back for Prime's trailer.

"I hope he is ok." She skittered across the pod.

"He will be fine. " Bumblebee said "You said he was in some sort of Stasis Lock?"

"Yes, and Hound was trying to fix him, when we received Prime's communiqué." Hacker planted herself on the pod. "I separated myself from Hot Rod and came to Earth to let you know where we were, and that we had gotten the signal."

"Let's just hope Hound was able to fix him. He's no medic." Bumblebee laughed.

"Let's hope…" She caressed the top of the pod not willing to get down. Nothing could pry her off the pod. Bumblebee stood guard over the two and waited for the return of his leader to extract the Pod.

To be continued…


	4. Hot Rod

A Distant Memory

Chapter Four: Hot Rod

Here we go...What is up with Ironhide?

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"Place him on the table." Ratchet pointed for Ironhide's benefit.

"I know what a table is." Ironhide walked up and bent at his knees letting the robot down on the table. "Can you fix him?"

"I believe so." Ratchet walked up with his scanner "At least I would hope so."

Ironhide turned to see her at the doorway, he felt bad for her a moment but would not show it. "Get in here or get out." He stated to the small robot that cautiously made her way in. She Jumped to Ironhide who recoiled at being touched by her. She then jumped up onto Hot Rod's chest.

"I cannot do this with you sitting there." Ratchet said to her petting her head.

"I am not leaving him." She stated pushing down against his chest.

"Ok I'll work around you but sit up there by his head so I can get clear readings." Ratchet pointed.

"That's fine as long as I can stay..." Hacker sighed moving up to Hot Rod's head.

Four hours had passed. Ratchet had done well. Hot Rod was ready to go. "Let's try this now." Ratchet moved a few wires around "Come on young one open up your eyes." Hacker crawled over his shoulder onto his chest again.

He opened his eyes and tired to focus. He smiled and reached to his chest picking Hacker up by her neck and dropping her off the table. "I told you not to lay on me." Came the groggy response.

"Hot Rod!" She scrambled back up onto the table, and onto his shoulder.

He sat up slowly. "Careful now, you have been inactive a while, you may be stiff." Ratchet came around. His vision came into focus. He smiled looking down at his friend.

"I'm fine thank you." He smiled. "You know better than to just sit on me like that."

"I know." She rested against his shoulder.

"Are you connected to Optimus?" He smiled putting a finger against her flames.

"Yes…until you are in full operating order." She climbed onto the top of his head.

"It's nice to not have you in my head anymore." He smiled standing.

"You don't mean that." Her voice got calm and quiet.

"You're right… I do not mean that." He jumped down off of the table and stood tall. "How is everything Ratchet?" he turned "Long time no see."

"Might have been longer, you're lucky we got your aft online." Ratchet pointed to him "What did you get yourself into?"

"You just don't want to know." Hot Rod turned to the door "Am I cleared to see Optimus?"

"Yes, but not to battle, you need to stay on Base for the time being… I am not done with you yet."

"And that Ratchet, scares me more than anything." He took a step out of the lab and blinked "I'm glad you're ok."

"I'm fine; they have taken good care of me." She slinked back to his shoulder.

"That's not what I meant." He smiled stopping his stride and lifted her down into his hands. "I didn't like the idea of Hound sending you ahead."

"I'm a big girl I can take care of myself." He smiled at that and pet her head gently. "Just look at me I am fine; Prime took good care of me."

"Ironhide didn't want you did he?" He laughed.

"No he didn't that big lug." She looked away trying not to let it show on your face.

"Ok babe, where is Prime's office?" Hacker Skittered up to Hot Rod's arm and onto his shoulder.

"Down a few more meters, third door to the left." She sunk down on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She was in heaven.

"Prime." Hot Rod Appeared in the doorway.

"Rodimus." He stood and walked over. "It's good to see you up and around."

"Thank you, and thank you for taking care of my girl here." Hot Rod took his hand.

"Not a problem, she was a nice change of Pace for my day." Prime smiled at her. "She's comfortable with you. I'll break the seal I have with her and she can go with you."

"I would like to do that when I am released for Duty. Ratchet still has much to go over with me." Hot Rod lifted her up and set her down on Prime's desk. "I want to be at 100 operation before I take her back. I cannot guarantee her safety if I am not at full operation." She looked up at Prime and remained silent.

"That's perfectly fine with me." Prime smiled looking down at her. "You may stay with him if it makes you feel better while I am in base."

"Yes." She said.

"Maggie was asking for you Hacker." Prime looked down. "Would you like to go assist her?"

She looked up and took stock of both of the bots before her. Prime was politely trying to tell her to leave. "I will be back soon." She leapt down and skittered out into the hall. She stopped momentarily, she wanted to be mad at Hot Rod for refusing to connect with her again, but she just had to deal with it; due to his reasons being valid. She turned back to the hall just in time to get stepped on again, this time with no damage. She growled at the human commander and jumped down the hall.

Prime moved around his desk and returned to his seat. "We will need to take you out to find a camouflage." He looked up at Hot Rod who was just stark and silver. "She's not use to being without you is she?"

"No…" Hot Rod looked for the door. "I found her just after the war on Cybertron; she was a young little thing. Honestly I thought she was space debris. I've never seen a one of us so small; and she had a spark that shocked me too. She's the youngest I have encountered. I took her with me with a few others, but her size makes it difficult for her to do anything herself. I kept her with me, once her full programming came on line she linked with me. We have been together ever since."

"She cares for you deeply." Prime stated and looked up at Hot Rod.

"I know…Hound should not have sent her ahead, he should have just waited and sent her with me." Hot Rod turned back to Prime's door. "Starscream ran into us just as we entered this solar system." Hot rod sighed looking down "Messed me up pretty good."

"I'd say so; I've been reading the report from Ratchet." Optimus stood and looked at Hot Rod Questioningly. "You didn't have much mechanical damage."

"No, that's the odd part, the last thing I remember is this laser cannon he had, and I haven't seen anything like it." He turned his Gaze back to Prime looking down at his body. "I would like to find local camouflage… sooner than later…I feel uncomfortable." He said. Motioning to Prime who was much more colorful than he was.

"Very well, let's get that taken care of." Prime moved to the door and motioned Hot Rod out into the hall.

The two bots walked past the human offices, just in time to see the small little bot skitter out and leap onto Optimus' back and craw up to his head. "Hacker." He smiled at her.

"Maggie is doing well Prime, you should look at her work. You would be impressed." Hacker smiled and moved to his other shoulder; closer to Hot Rod.

"I will talk to her when we return." Prime was making his way out of the Base. He turned seeing Bumblebee standing guard near the door. " Bumblebee…We will be back shortly."

"Prime," He nodded to the other Autobot "Hot Rod."

"Nice to see you Bumblebee." Hot Rod looked out.

"You too, be careful there are wild dogs around." Bumblebee waved the two off.

"This way." Prime was leading Hot rod. "There's a highway a mile from base, we are taking local transport vehicles as camouflage…Bumblebee go check that fence again!" Pime moved with him down the road through the trees.

"Yes Sir!" Bumblebee called back. Watching the two wade through the trees in the distance.

A few moments later Prime came upon the road. Hot Rod could see the high way, and a group of classic cars driving down. They were headed to a car show. Hot Rod snuck up close to the highway and took stock of all the cars. He scanned the first finding it to his liking and transformed. Prime's Semi form rolling up beside him. Hot Rod had chosen a Classic Car form; that of a 1976 Ford Grand Torino. With a red and white Paint Job; Hot Rod never looked better.

"I feel a bit better now." Hot rod pulled up and fish tailed his back end around in a turn to point him back towards the human base. He faced Optimus.

"Good, let's get back, Ratchet wanted you to stay put, and I'm sure he knows I've snuck you out, so let's head back." Optimus ordered.

"You've got it Prime." Hot Rod slipped forward a bit and allowed Optimus room to turn his Massive frame around. "Let's head back."

Prime was right about Ratchet; he was standing outside the doors to their base tapping his foot. Bumblebee shrugged as the two pulled up. Hot Rod managed his transformation slowly, Prime followed suit.

"Ratchet." Hot Rod Smiled standing tall.

"Prime…of all the things." Ratchet shook his head.

"You can complain to me later." Prime smiled. "Go on inside Hot Rod we will join you shortly." Hacker bound down onto Hot Rod's shoulder and went with him inside.

"Do you stay in Prime's quarters?" He asked her.

"No I have my own, but you are welcome to them due to the fact they are extremely large." She sighed.

Hot Rod suddenly realized he was not watching where he was going and ran right into Ironhide. "Hey sorry about that."

"You're awake." Hot rod turned to the familiar voice.

"Ironhide…" Hot rod smiled, as he stepped back . "Good to see you again you old Pistol."

"Don't call me that." He took Hot Rod's hand. "Good to see you again." Ironhide looked up to Hacker. "Happy now that your Boyfriend is back smallish one?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." She said.

"I will see you in combat training when you are cleared for active duty." Ironhide pushed past him and walked off.

"What's up with him?" Hot rod pointed.

"He's been acting funny for a few weeks now." Hacker looked back "I'm not sure what's going on." Hot Rod shook his head. "It's him, but somehow it's not…hard to explain, It's making Prime uneasy.He has a human friend; you should speak to the Lennox man." Hacker looked at him closely.

"Let's get back to the lab; we'll talk about it with Prime later." Hot Rod made his way down the hall and back to Ratchet's lab. He looked down at his body, he liked the color. He smiled and picked up Hacker putting her in his hands. She transformed and folded herself shut and began her stasis regiment. Hot rod placed her on the lab table and sat beside her and waited for Ratchet.

Part of him wanted to be reconnected to her, he felt odd without her. Part of him was happy to be free of the burden of caring for her. Maybe there would be a way to accommodate both of their needs. At least that is what he hoped.

To be continued….


End file.
